Review: Deus Omega - In Absentia of Light

Australian one-man experimental metal project Deus Omega is a relatively new act in the metal underground. Formed in 2012, multi-instrumentalist Alex Moore brings a very interesting mix of Prog Metal, Black/Death Metal, Doom, Thrash Metal, Hardcore and Djent on the recently launched new adventure entitled “In Absentia of Light.”

Although I cannot tell if Moore has any previous experience, it is evident that he knows what he does here. Impeccable knowledge of genres from Jazz to Metal allow the project to cover vast ground. After the short intro “Star of Morning,” “Carved from Flesh” shows this right off the bat: a well-nigh cacophony of Metal riffing, frantic drums, and aggressive high-tech guitar suddenly melts into levitating experimentalism. But startling contrasts of genres and awe-inspiring virtuosity is just the method. Elaborating polyphony, complex time signatures, and high-tech chops serve a higher purpose of taking you to a mysterious place where engrossing scenes unfold all around.

And the most vivid imagery on this record comes not from its instrumentation, but from Moore’s singing, who mastered his voice to perfection. Same as the instrumental work here, Alex is going different and unexplored places with his vocals which vary from spoken-word to growls to screams and absolutely everything in-between.

It is hard to pick highlights as the entire album is a highlight. The newly found expansive approach takes Moore’s vision to a new level — making it transparent, well-defined and more approachable. And speaking of “approachable,” there is nothing easy about making complex inner realities accessible. Like any true art, it’s a hard one to master. But then again, stunning, world-class ideas draw crowds in — this is how niche acts go “mainstream.” And this could well happen to this project.Find more about Deus Omega here.